Your phone uses Wi-Fi to stream videos and Bluetooth to play music through earbuds. Both send data through the air using radio waves, often in the same 2.4 GHz band, but they are designed for very different jobs.

What is Wi-Fi?

Wi-Fi creates a wireless local network, usually through a router, that connects devices to each other and to the internet. It is built for high speed and larger areas such as homes, offices, cafés and campuses.

What is Bluetooth?

Bluetooth is a short-range technology for connecting devices directly to each other, such as phones with earbuds, smartwatches, keyboards, speakers and car systems. It is designed to use very little power.

Side-by-side comparison

• Main purpose: Wi-Fi provides internet and network access; Bluetooth links nearby gadgets.
• Range: Wi-Fi typically covers a home or office floor; Bluetooth usually reaches about 10 metres, though newer versions can go further.
• Speed: Wi-Fi is much faster, good for streaming and large downloads. Bluetooth is slower but enough for audio and small data.
• Power use: Wi-Fi uses more power; Bluetooth Low Energy can run a fitness band for days or weeks.
• Setup: Wi-Fi needs a network name and password; Bluetooth uses pairing.

When to use which

• Watching videos, video calls, downloading apps: Wi-Fi.
• Wireless earbuds, smartwatch, car audio, wireless mouse: Bluetooth.
• Sharing your phone’s internet with a laptop: a Wi-Fi hotspot is usually faster than Bluetooth tethering.

Fun fact about the name

Bluetooth is named after Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson, a 10th-century Danish king who united warring tribes, just as the technology unites different devices.

Safety tip

Turn off Bluetooth when you are not using it, and do not accept pairing requests from unknown devices in public places.